Gas spring and gas damper assemblies as well as suspension systems and methods of assembly

Abstract

Gas spring and gas damper assemblies include a gas spring and a gas damper. The gas spring includes a flexible spring member with opposing end members secured thereto and at least partially defining a spring chamber. An elongated damping passage having a spiral configuration extends through one of the end members. The gas damper includes a damper housing that at least partially defines a damping chamber in fluid communication with the spring chamber through the elongated damping passage. A damper piston assembly is received within the damping chamber and secured to the other of the end members. Suspension systems and methods are also included.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A gas spring and gas damper assembly comprising:
 a flexible spring member having a longitudinal axis and including a flexible wall extending longitudinally between first and second ends and peripherally about said axis to at least partially define a spring chamber; 
 a first end member operatively secured to said first end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween; 
 a second end member disposed in spaced relation to said first end member and operatively secured to said second end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween, said second end member including an end member wall that includes an outer side wall portion that extends longitudinally along said second end member and an end wall portion oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis, said end member wall at least partially defining an end member cavity disposed radially inward of said outer side wall portion; 
 a housing sleeve extending longitudinally between opposing sleeve ends, said housing sleeve including a sleeve wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, said housing sleeve at least partially received within said end member cavity with said inner surface of said sleeve wall at least partially defining a damping chamber; 
 a damper rod assembly including a damper piston and an elongated damper rod operatively connected to said damper piston, said damper piston positioned within said damping chamber and including an outer side wall disposed adjacent said inner surface of said housing sleeve, said damper piston separating said damping chamber into first and second chamber portions; and, 
 an end plate disposed along said end wall portion of said second end member, said end plate including an elongated damping passage extending between a first passage end and a second passage end, said elongated damping passage having a spiral configuration with said first passage end disposed in fluid communication with said spring chamber and said second passage end disposed in fluid communication with one of said first and second chamber portions; 
 said damper rod operatively connected to said first end member such that upon extension and compression of said gas spring and gas damper assembly, said damper piston is reciprocally displaced within said damping chamber and pressurized gas damping is generated from at least pressurized gas transfer through said elongated damping passage between said spring chamber and said damping chamber. 
 
     
     
       2. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said end wall portion of said end member wall includes a first side facing toward said first end member and a second side facing away from said first end member with said end plate disposed along said second side of said end wall portion. 
     
     
       3. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said end plate includes a first plate surface and a second plate surface facing opposite said first plate surface, and said end plate is positioned within said damping chamber and oriented such that said first plate surface is disposed in facing relation to said second side of said end wall portion of said end member wall. 
     
     
       4. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein said elongated damping passage has an open side along said first plate surface of said end plate. 
     
     
       5. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said end plate has an outer peripheral edge, and one of said sleeve ends of said housing sleeve is disposed in abutting engagement with said outer peripheral edge to at least partially retain said end plate in abutting engagement with said end wall portion of said end member wall. 
     
     
       6. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said end plate includes an inner peripheral edge at least partially defining an opening through said end plate, and said gas spring and gas damper assembly further comprises a support ring extending through said opening in said end plate, said support ring secured to said end wall portion to at least partially retain said end plate in abutting engagement with said end wall portion of said end member wall. 
     
     
       7. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said end plate includes a port in fluid communication with one of said first and second passage ends of said elongated damping passage such that pressurized gas transfers between said elongated damping passage and said damping chamber through said port in said end plate. 
     
     
       8. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said second end member includes an indexing feature formed therealong, and said end plate includes an indexing feature cooperative with said indexing feature of said second end member to rotationally locate said end plate about said axis relative to said second end member. 
     
     
       9. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising an end cap disposed along one of said sleeve ends opposite said second end member. 
     
     
       10. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein said end plate is a first end plate, said end cap includes an end cap wall that at least partially defines an end cap cavity, and said gas spring and gas damper assembly further comprises a second end plate disposed within said end cap cavity. 
     
     
       11. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein said second end plate has an outer peripheral edge, and one of said sleeve ends of said housing sleeve is disposed in abutting engagement with said outer peripheral edge of said second end plate to at least partially retain said second end plate in abutting engagement with said end cap wall of said end cap. 
     
     
       12. A suspension system comprising:
 a pressurized gas system including a pressurized gas source and a control device; and, 
 at least one gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 1  disposed in fluid communication with said pressurized gas source through said control device such that pressurized gas can be selectively transferred into and out of at least said spring chamber. 
 
     
     
       13. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said end wall portion of said end member wall of said second end member includes a port in fluid communication with one of said first and second passage ends of said elongated damping passage such that pressurized gas transfers between said elongated damping passage and said spring chamber through said port in said end wall portion of said end member wall. 
     
     
       14. A method of manufacturing a gas spring and gas damper assembly, said method comprising:
 providing a flexible spring member having a longitudinal axis and including a flexible wall extending longitudinally between first and second ends and peripherally about said axis to at least partially define a spring chamber; 
 providing a first end member and securing said first end member across said first end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween; 
 providing a second end member including an end member wall that includes an outer side wall portion that extends longitudinally along said second end member and an end wall portion oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis with said end member wall at least partially defining an end member cavity disposed radially inward of said outer side wall portion; 
 securing said second end member across said second end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween; 
 providing a housing sleeve extending longitudinally between opposing sleeve ends, said housing sleeve including a sleeve wall with an inner surface and an outer surface; 
 positioning said housing sleeve at least partially within said end member cavity such that said inner surface of said sleeve wall at least partially defines a damping chamber; 
 providing a damper piston assembly including a damper piston and an elongated damper rod operatively connected to said damper piston, said damper piston including an outer side wall; 
 positioning said damper piston within said damping chamber such that said outer side wall is disposed adjacent said inner surface of said inner sleeve with said damper piston separating said piston chamber into first and second chamber portions; 
 providing an end plate that includes an elongated damping passage having a spiral configuration and extending between a first passage end and a second passage end; 
 positioning said end plate along said end wall portion of said end member wall of said second end member and connecting at least one of said first and second chamber portions in fluid communication with said spring chamber through said elongated damping passage; and, 
 connecting said damper rod to said first end member such that upon extension and compression of said gas spring and gas damper assembly, said damper piston is reciprocally displaced within said damping chamber to generate pressurized gas damping with additional pressurized gas damping being generated from pressurized gas transfer between said spring chamber and said damping chamber through said elongated damping passage. 
 
     
     
       15. A gas spring and gas damper assembly comprising:
 a flexible spring member having a longitudinal axis and including a flexible wall extending longitudinally between first and second ends and peripherally about said axis to at least partially define a spring chamber; 
 a first end member operatively secured to said first end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween; 
 a second end member disposed in spaced relation to said first end member and operatively secured to said second end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween, said second end member including an end member wall that includes an outer side wall portion that extends longitudinally along said second end member and an end wall portion oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis, said end wall portion including a first end surface portion facing toward said first end member and a second end surface portion facing away from said first end member, said end member wall at least partially defining an end member cavity disposed radially inward of said outer side wall portion; 
 a housing sleeve extending longitudinally between opposing sleeve ends, said housing sleeve including a sleeve wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, said housing sleeve at least partially received within said end member cavity with said inner surface of said sleeve wall at least partially defining a damping chamber; 
 a damper rod assembly including a damper piston and an elongated damper rod operatively connected to said damper piston, said damper piston positioned within said damping chamber and including an outer side wall disposed adjacent said inner surface of said inner sleeve, said damper piston separating said piston chamber into first and second chamber portions; and, 
 an end plate including a first plate surface portion and a second plate surface portion, said end plate disposed adjacent said end wall portion of said end member wall of said second end member such that said first plate surface portion is oriented in facing relation to said second end surface portion, said end plate including an elongated damping passage having a spiral configuration extending between a first passage end and a second passage end with said first passage end disposed in fluid communication with said spring chamber and said second passage end disposed in fluid communication with said damping chamber; 
 said damper rod operatively connected to said first end member such that upon extension and compression of said gas spring and gas damper assembly, said damper piston is reciprocally displaced within said damping chamber and pressurized gas damping is generated from at least pressurized gas transfer through said elongated damping passage between said spring chamber and said damping chamber. 
 
     
     
       16. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said elongated damping passage has an open side along said first plate surface portion of said end plate. 
     
     
       17. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said end plate has an outer peripheral edge, and one of said sleeve ends of said housing sleeve is disposed in abutting engagement with said outer peripheral edge to at least partially retain said end plate in abutting engagement with said end member wall. 
     
     
       18. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 15 , further comprising a seal operatively disposed between said first plate surface portion of said end plate and said second end surface portion of said end wall portion. 
     
     
       19. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said end wall portion of said end member wall of said second end member includes an end wall port in fluid communication with said first passage end of said elongated damping passage such that pressurized gas transfers between said elongated damping passage and said spring chamber through said end wall port. 
     
     
       20. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said end plate includes an end plate port in fluid communication with said second passage end of said elongated damping passage such that pressurized gas transfers between said elongated damping passage and said damping chamber through said end plate port.